Bass Redesigns Beers Prior to Sell-Off

Bass Redesigns Beers Prior to Sell-Off

Article excerpt

Bass, on the verge of selling off its [pounds]2bn brewing business, is revamping its core beer brands, including putting Worthington ale into bottles for the first time and redesigning its Grolsch lager brand.

The brewer has also launched a major sportswear promotion, Football Stuff 2, for its top-selling lager Carling, and is rolling out a series of music initiatives behind Scottish lager Tennent's.

The changes represent Bass' biggest overhaul of its brands and follow a review of all its agency arrangements at the end of last year.

Worthington will be available in bottles from June in an attempt to widen its appeal to consumers drinking at home. It was previously only available in cans, the traditional packaging for ales. The new design for the 330m1 bottles was created by Tank Design.

Bass' take-home director, John Holberry, said: "Drinkers of mainstream ales are looking for refreshment, but also want quality and the reassurance of a big brand name at the right price. …